Last week, model Maggie Rizer told her story of how United Airlines killed her dog. Now another pet owner has come forward to blame the airlines for the death of his beloved two-year-old mastiff, Bam Bam.
Michael Jarboe made proper arrangements to ensure that his neopolitan mastiff Bam Bam was ready for a flight from Miami to San Francisco. The dog was in perfect health and Jarboe paid United Airlines a $650 fee to transport Bam Bam.
Jarboe claims that he was told that his dog would be kept in air conditioned environments throughout the trip. However when he was sitting on the connecting flight in Houston, waiting for takeoff, Jarboe looked out his window and saw his dog outside in the heat on the tarmac. It was 95 degrees in Houston that day.
"It was right under the wing. We were right there, had a direct shot, he was so hot. His tongue was hanging down,' Jarboe told WSVN. "Never, ever, have I ever seen him that hot. What United promised us is an air conditioned cargo facility and an air conditioned cargo van."
When Jarboe's flight landed in San Francisco, a United Airlines employee told him that Bam Bam died.
"He was such a good boy. We had zero problems, zero aggression, and zero dog problems. I mean everything was set," Jarboe told WSVN.
The airline paid for a necropsy which showed that Bam Bam died of a heart attack. United says they weren't responsible for the death since it wasn't transit related.
Since Bam Bam had made the same trip four times before, a baffled Jarboe questioned United employees further. He found out that Bam Bam was never in an air-conditioned room during the two-hour layover in Houston. He was placed in a holding facility with only a fan.
United Airlines explained and defended their decision.
"Given the size of Bam Bam and the fact that he is a brachycephalic, meaning short nosed breed, we made the decision to bring him to our holding facility for greater comfort during his connection. Our holding facilities are USDA animal welfare-approved and provide ample room and air ventilation in addition to regular monitoring and watering provided by trained pet safe personnel."
United Airlines also said that they returned the $650 fee that Jarboe paid.
"We have refunded the full transport fare for the dog and are working with Mr. Jarboe on additional compensation."
The additional compensation includes travel vouchers which Jarboe refused.
Jarboe hopes that the airline will be clearer about their animal care process. He said that if he knew that Bam Bam wouldn't be placed in a temperature controlled van while transported on the tarmac, he probably wouldn't have allowed his dog to be transported by the airline.
Bam Bam is the second dog that died on a United Airlines flight within the past two months. Model Maggie Rizer's golden retriever Beatrice died on a flight from New York to San Francisco. Bea died of a heatstroke.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
